He also listed a number of other Mail campaigns that have “given voice to the voiceless” including justice for the Omagh bomb victims, the release of Shaker Aamer from Guantanamo and sanctuary for the army’s Afghan interpreters.

“As for the other ‘i’ word, one of the main reasons Britain voted Brexit was the refusal by our ruling class, led by the BBC, to allow a mature debate on mass immigration which has nothing to do with race and everything to do with numbers,” Dacre added.

“If the Mail promoted that debate and helped prevent the rise here of the kind of ugly right-wing political movements now festering across the EU, then I suffer my critics’ obloquy with pride.”

Dacre will become chairman and editor-in-chief of Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and Metro newspapers and Mail Online website, from 1 October this year.